Lee County detective nabs check fraud suspect

BOND, Miss. - A Lee County Sheriff's Office detective was in the right place and the right time to solve a mystery that has plagued an Arkansas trucking company for 10 years.

Detective Thomas Cole was purchasing fuel for his office vehicle Wednesday when he noticed something amiss at a Mobile on the Run gas station in Bonita Springs. The manager was telling a man that he could not cash a second check — the man was buying two cases of beer. The manager told the man, "I think this is a big scam," according to an arrest report.

The report says the man left the store and got into a Ford Escort. Cole followed the man and stopped him from leaving because his vehicle had faulty equipment — a bad bumper.

The man told Cole his name was Larry Davis, 46, but he didn't have a driver license on him. He also told the detective the license was from Tennessee. A records check showed "Davis" did not exist.

At that point, the manager came out of the store and told Cole he believed the man had "just passed him a fraudulent check" and had been in the store about 30 minutes earlier, cashing another check, both from J and B Trucking in Arkansas, according to the arrest report.

Cole found several "Comp Data" checks on the man and a Florida driver license for "Louis St. Laurent" and more checks in the man's vehicle.

The detective called the trucking company and spoke with a fraud investigator who said the man "had been committing check fraud against their company for approximately 10 years and used several aliases to commit the crimes and they were never able to locate the subject," the report says.

Cole called the Sheriff's Office economic crimes unit and the man was taken in for questioning.

He allegedly told detectives he lied about his name because he had numerous warrants for his arrest in Tampa for check fraud.

He told detectives his name was Macel Dewain Marlow, 47, and he had "several aliases throughout the country and has been in prison in approximately 10 states for several crimes," according to the report.

Cole did a criminal history check and found the man has about 50 aliases throughout the country and has an extensive criminal history.

On August 18, he was arrested for possession of an illegal open container and giving a false name to law enforcement after an arrest by the Fort Myers Police Department. He was booked into Lee County jail by the name of Larry Dewain Davis and released August 22.

Cole notified Lee County pre-trial release authorities and asked for a hold to be placed until the Sheriff's Office could determine whether he was wanted for any other crimes under the numerous aliases.

Marlow was arrested Wednesday on complaints of fraud and grand theft.

In Hillsboro County, the man has at least 18 aliases, including "Mary Marlow," computerized records show. He also has been arrested in Polk, Lake and Pasco counties.